Vertical type mercury switch



Oct. 3, 1933. c. v. IREDELL VERTICAL TYPE MERCURY SWITCH Filed Aug. l.1930 Patented Oct. 3, 1933 PATENT OFFICE 1,929,110 VERTICAL TYPE MERCURYswITCn Charles v. rreaeli, East orange, N. J., assigner to WestinghouseLamp Company, a corporation of Pennsylvania Application August 1, 1930.Serial No. 472,222

8 Claims.

'This invention relates to mercury switch devices of the tilting typeand relates more particularly to such devices which are operated in asubstantially vertical position.

In mercury switches of the class to which the present invention relatesa sealed glass envelope is employed having a pair of electrodesextending into the interior thereof.

Within the envelope is a pool of mercury so that vwhen the envelope istipped in one direction during operation the mercury moves in contactwith the electrodes and when tipped in another direction the mercurymoves to disconnect the electrodes. Such switches are usually providedwith a relatively tubular sealed envelope or bulb and are operated in ahorizontal position. In switches of this type the movement of themercury is relatively long and the desired quick action is notattainable. l It is an object of the present invention to provide aquick acting mercury switch device.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mercury switch devicewhich may operate in a relatively small space.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mercury switch of thevertical tilting type of simplified construction and which may bemanufactured at relatively low cost.

In accordance with the present invention a sealed envelope is providedof substantially tubular form havingelectrodes extending through one endthereof, the ends of said electrodes being disposed in spaced relationat the opposite end of the said envelope. The device is normally heldvertical that is, with its longitudinal or longest axis in a verticalposition. The switch is operated by tilting the envelope about asuitable point in its vertical axis so as to move a mercury pool tobridge and make connection between the .electrodes or to be so moved asto break the electrical connection between the electrodes. Inaccomplishing the above-the envelope is provided with a refractoryelement so constructed as to provide cavities to receive the ends 4 ofthe electrodes and a platform is also provided over which a mercury poolflows between the cavities.

Intermediate the electrodes is a dividing wall or partition whichnormally partially divides the mercury disposed between the electrodesand is so arranged that upon a tilting of the device the said wallserves to separate the mercury pool into two separate bodies and thusbreak the electrical connection between the electrodes, the arc breakingover the edge of the refractory element.

'Ihe partition or wall being of refractory ma- (Cl. 20D-152) terial, isresistant to the effect of the arc which breaks thereover and iscomparatively remote from the wall of the envelope so as to prevent thevarc from having any detrimental effects upon the said glass wall.

By reason of the present construction a mercury switch device isprovided which may be operated in a rapid and effective manner. Theinvention will be more fully understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawing in which,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view partly broken away and showing adevice constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a view taken on lines lI--lI in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view taken on lines III-III in Fig. 2; 70

Fig'. 4 is a perspective view of the refractory element employed in theconstruction shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a modified form of the device Ishowing a refractory elementhaving a pair of cavities connected by an inclined surface;

Fig. 6 is a view taken on lines VI-VI in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the refractory element shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is another modified form of the device 80 and shows a refractoryelement having a wall provided with a notch to permit a flow of. mercuryfrom one side to the other.

Fig. 9 is a view taken on lines lX--D in Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a perspective view oi the refractory 35 element shown in Fig.8.

A switch device constructed in accordance with the present invention maycomprise a glass envelope 10 having electrodes 11 and 12 sealed througha wall 13 at one end thereof. The said 90 wall 13 may be in the form ofa press 14 and the electrodes 11 and 12 may be provided with conductorsor leads 15 and 16 respectively embedded in the press.

For the purpose of exhausting the envelope an exhaust tube 17 isprovided and a pool of mercury 18 may be admitted to the envelopethrough the exhaust tube after which the device is exhausted and thetube 1'7 is then tipped of! in the usual manner. The present deviceis,however, provided with a specially formed rei'ractory member 19 whichprevious to the formation of the press 14 and while the envelope y isopen, is inserted at opposite or closed end 21 of the envelope. Theelectrodes are then held so that ltheir ends 22 and 23 are disposed insockets in the element 19 after which the said electrodes are secured inthe press and thus serve to retain the refractory element in place.

The refractory element may be of any suitable material and it has beenfound practical to use lavite or a commercial product comprised offinely pulverized refractory material compacted under pressure and thepresent refractory element is so formed as to be conveniently molded byautomatic machinery such as is used for pressing tablets.

The refractory element as Ishown more clearly in Figs. 2 and 4 consistsof a vbody 24 having a platform 25 and a wall or partition 26 disposedon the platform and extendingupwardly therefrom. At each side of thewall is a cavity 2'1 and 28 in the bottom of which are the pockets 24'and 25' respectively to receive the ends 22 and 23 of/'the electrodes.Although the pockets 24 and 25' are provided it is to be understood thatthe diameter of the cylindrical portion 29 of the refractory element maybe so proportioned as to tightly fit the envelope v10 and be retainedthereby or the said element may be retained in place by other means, inwhichcase the ends 22 and 23 of the electrodes need only extend into thecavities 27 and 28 sufllciently to make contact with the mercurytherein.

When the device is in a vertical or normal position the mercury poolwill extend from cavity to cavity. on the platform 25 and the wall 26may as shown be provided with concave sur-c faces 31 and 32 to provide aguide passage in commotion with the wall of the envelope.

For the purpose of narrowing this guide passage the refractory elementis provided with extensions 34 and 35 having surfaces 36 and 37 toconform with and fit the curvature of the wall of the envelope andproviding a protective' medium to keep any arcing that may take placefrom having any detrimental effects on the glass wall of the envelope.

At the normal or vertical positions the mercury pool is partly dividedby the partition which acts as a knife to divide the pool when thedevice is tilted. The tilting of the device may be about a suitablepoint in the normal vertical axis thus breaking the electricalconnection when tilted between the electrodes and renewing theconnection when moved back to vertical position since the two bodies ofmercury are free to move over the platform to and from each other.

Figs. yl5 and 6 show a modified form of the refractory element and asshown such element may comprise a body portion of cylindrical form to ntthe envelope 10. The body 36' is provided with a sloping platformA 37'extending between two pockets 38 and 39 and a partition 41 extendingbetween the cavities and into a mercury pool 42.

When the device is held` vertical the mercury pool spans electrodes 43ando 44 the ends of which extend into the cavities 38 and 39respectively. When the device is tilted the body of mercury breaks overthe edge 45 of the wall 41.

Figs. 8 to 10 show a refractory element 46 comprising a body 47 ofcylindrical form to fit the interior surface of the envelope A10. Themember 46 is provided with a platform 48 and a partially surroundingwall 49 which in -conjunction with a portion of the wall of the envelopeprovides an enclosure which is divided,A

58 so that when the device is tilted the two bodies of mercury will flowtogether over the notch land electrically connect the electrodes.

From the foregoing description it will be evident that the presentinvention provides a device which by reason of its vertical operationmay be used in apparatus where the space is limited and where horizontalor other types of devices are impractical.

Furthermore a device constructed in accordance with the presentinvention requires a relatively small amount bf mercury as comparedwithother devices. Another advantage resides in the fact that the refractoryelement may more easily be made as for example by automatic machinery byan extruding or molding operation. The de vice lends itself to bothsmall and large angle tilt to make contact. In cases where a large angletilt is required the present device may be tilted through an angle of180 without short circuiting.

Although a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown and describedherein it is to be understood that modifications may ne made thereinwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as setforth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A mercury switch device comprising an enclosing envelope ofsubstantially cylindrical form, a pair of conductor members extendingthrough and sealed in one end of said envelope, an arc resistant elementof substantially cylindrical form disposed at the opposite end of lsaidenvelope, said element having pockets disposed in" spaced relation toreceive the ends of said conductors, a wall integral with said elementextending between said conductors, a body of mercury for electricallyconnecting said conductors,

said wall serving to divide said mercury body andy disconnect saidconductors when said envelope is tilted.

2. A mercury switch device comprising a cylindrical container, a pair ofconductor members sealed into and extending through one end of saidcontainer, a refractory element at the opposite end of said container,said element having a a substantially cylindrical surface to fit theinterior surface of said container, and formed with a base portionhaving pockets disposed in spaced relation to receive ends of saidconductors, a body of mercury movable over said base, a wall integralwith said element perpendicular to said base and disposed between saidpockets, to divide said mercury body when said device is tilted.

3. A mercury switch device comprising a container of substantiallycylindrical form,'a pair of conductor members extending through andsealed in one end of said container, a body of refractory materialhaving a platform disposed in the* other end of said container, amercury body extending across said platform, a wall perpendicular to andextending partially across said platform, the ends of said conductormembers being disposed at opposite sides of said wall and in contactwith said mercury, said wall serving to divide said mercury body toelectrically disconnect said conductors.

4. A mercury switch device comprising a container of substantiallycylindrical form, a pair of conductor members extending through andsealed in one end of said container, a body of refractory material inthe form of a cylindrical block proportioned to t and be retainedagainst lateral movement by the wall of said container,

the ends of said conductors engaging said body to hold it againstendwise movement, a mercury body for electrically connecting saidconductors, a wall integral with said refractory body for dividing saidmercury body to electrically disconnect said conductors.

5. A mercury switch device comprising a container of substantiallycylindrical form, a pair of conductor members extending through andsealed in one end of said container, a body of refractory material inthe form of a cylindrical block proportioned to t and be retainedagainst lateral movement by the wall oi' said container, said refractorybody having-pockets disposed in spaced relation, said conductors havingtheir ends in said pockets, a mercurybody extending between said pocketsto electrically connect said conductors, and a wall integral with saidrefractory body disposed between said pockets to divide said mercurybody and electricallydisconnect said Vconductors when said device istilted.

6. A mercury switch device comprising a substantially cylindricalcontainer, a pair of conductor members sealed into and extending throughone end of said container, an arc resistant element disposed at theother end of said container said element being formed to fit theinterior wall of said container, said element having two pocketsdisposed in spaced relation and an inclined surface extending betweensaid pockets, said conductor members having their ends disposed in saidpockets, a body of mercury connecting said members, a wall integral withsaid element extending between said pockets to divide said body ofmercury and disconnect^ said members when said device is tilted.

7. A mercury switch device comprising a cylindrical container, a pair ofconductor members sealed into and extending through one end of saidcontainer, a, refractory element at the opposite end of said container,said element having a substantially cylindrical surface to t theinterior surface of said container, and formed with a base portionhaving pockets disposed in spaced relation to receive. ends of saidconductors, a body of mercury movable over said base, a Wall integralwith said element perpendicular to said base and disposed between saidpockets to divide said mercury body when said device is tilted, andextensions integral with said base interposed between said mercury andthe wall of said container.

8. A mercury switch device comprising a cylindrical container, a pair ofconductor members sealed into and extending through one end of saidcontainer, a refractory element at the opposite end of said container,said element having a substantially cylindrical surface to t theinterior surface of said container, and formed with a base portionhaving pockets disposed in spaced relation to receive ends o'f saidconductors, a body of mercury movable over said base, a wall integralwith and extending upwardly from said base and inwardly from the wall ofsaid container said wall being of diminishing thickness toward its innerend whereby said inner end serves to divide said mercury body when saiddevice is tilted, the other end of said wall serving to protect the wallof the container.

CHARLES V. IREDELL.

